Tire rack and changer



Oct'. 26 1926.

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G CHAMPOUX TIRE HACK AND CHANGER Filed July 22, 1925 wiTNEssl-:s l 4Patented ct. 26, 19261 turen s'rarrs PTENT @WWE CHABCEGUX, OF SALMONFALLS, NEW -I'IAMlSHIR/E, ASSGNOR OF ONE- FURT- T JGSEH CAIVLRE,ONE-FOURTH TO FREDERICK W. GARDNER, AND ONE- FORTH TG FREDERCK G.KAESSMNN, ALL `OF LAVRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIRE RACK AND CHANGER.

`Application filed July 22, 1925. Serial No. 45,356.

My invention is a tire rack and changer, and it consists in thecombinations, con structions and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a device having meansadjustable to and from position to engage with a tire or a rim on whicha tire `is mounted, and adapted when in engagement with the tire or rimto support said tire or rim on the device.

A further object of the invention is the provision in a device of thecharacter deH scribed, of adjustable means for engaging with a tiresupporting rim of the usual split ring type at a plurality of pointsspaced cir cumferentially of the tire rim and operable to decrease theeffective diameter of the rim so that a tire can be removed from the rimor placed thereon quickly and easily.

A further object ofthe invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter described having a body attachable to a fixed support andprovided with adjustable means for engaging with a rim to releasablyhold the rim against displacement from a desirable position with respectto the body", rogether with locking means for holding the adjustable rimsupporting means in rim supporting position, whereby removal of the tireand rim from the device by an unauthorized person is practicallyprevented.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a face view of the improved tire rack and changer inexpanded position with a portion of the` cover of the body of the devicebroken away and the body partially shown in section, v

`li`igure 2 is an edge view of the structure shown in Figure l,

Figure 3 is a plan view of a bracket for .supporting a locking mechanismwithin the body of the device.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the structure exhibited in Figure 2,together with a fragmentary portion of a pin Which can be locked inplace by means of saidV locking mechanism.

The supporting structure of the improveddevice comprises a caseor. bodywhich includes an attaching plate l. The attaching plate l has openings2 threaded for engagement `with threaded rods 3 which may be ktheshanlrs of bolts, or may be provided with nuts as indicated at 4f forcooperating with the rods to secure the attaching plate to any suitablesupport, not shown.

rihe attaching plate is formed with the edge thereof convexly curved forthe greater part of its circumference but a portion of the edge of theattaching plate is concavely curved as clearly shown in Figure l. Thecasing also comprises a cover plate 5 which conforms incontoursubstantially to the contour of the attaching plate, and isprovidedV with a depending marginal flange 6 adaptn ed to abut at itsedge with the attaching platesand to space the cover plate from theattaching plate. The cover has a radially exending guide extension 6awhich is substantially of inverted U-shape in cross section and taperstoward its outer end, afs shown.V When the cover is attached to theattaching plate, as by means of screws such as indicated at 7, the guide6a will extend radially outward from the case.

The invention contemplates the provision of a plurality of supportingmembers or arms arranged to extend radially from the 'body of the deviceand having means at their outer ends for engaging with a rim on which atire is mounted to support the rim and tire in a d esirable positionwith respect to the body of the device, and to releasably hold the tireand rim against displacement from such position. The form of the deviceillustrated in the drawings has an elongated supporting member 1l of barlike form extending from the space within the body of the device throughthe guide 6a and being e.n larged laterally at its outer end in oppositedirections as indicated at 12 to provide a rim engaging head, This rimengaging head has a recess 13 in its outer face having the bottom wallthereof curved to conform substantially to the transverse sectionalcontour ofthe inner wall of a rim, not shown, on which an automobiletire, also not shown, maybe supported in an ordinary manner. With thisarrangement, oppositely inclined retaining projections are produced atthe opposite ends of the recess 13,V as atV lil. rlhe ,device alsoincludes a pair of similar elond gated supporting",members ot bar likeiorrn, which, extend trompthelspace Within the body throughcircuniterentially extending slots, as at 16. The supporting members 15lie iii-planes which diverge from the axial line of the body ot thedevice at an angle ot slightly less than 1200, and the respectivesupporting nienibers 15 are located equi-distant i'roni a vertical planewhich extends through the center ot the loodyot` the ydevice and alsothrough the longitudinal'median line ot the guide 6. The respectivesupporting members 15 have relatively short' diepending arms 17 whichAhave transverse openings adjacentto their `lower ends :tor thereceptionot horizontal pivot elements 18. The horizontal pivot,elements18 are fined inA the attaching plate- 1 and extend troni the latterinthe body` ot the 4device to- Ward the coverplate 5. Theeiongatedsupportingmembers 15 havejtransverse shoulders,`as at'y 19adjacent to their inner ends, and are pivotally attached by horizontalpivot elements as at 2O totheouter end portions ot links 21 Which aredisposed Within the body ot the device, and are'attached at their innerends by horizontal pivot elements receptionoi the usual ilanofeat aniedgat 22 to end-portions ot arms 23 ot bell crank levers 24E which aretulcrunied on horizontal pivot elements 25. The pins 25 'are iixed inthe attaching plate 1 andthe other `arnns of the bellcranksextend fromtheir junctures With the arms 23 toward each other and'toward a verticalplane which extends throughthe center of the body ot thedevice, suchlother,arms of the-bell cranks loe-ino` indicated Y at 26. These yarms26 ot the bellcranks have horizontal pins 27 extending outwardlytherefrom', or in other Words.v toward the coverplate 5. These pins 27engage with alined slots 28 in arms 29 which are rigid with thesupporting` bar 1 1 and extend in opposite directions from the inner endportion ot the latter. rllhe bar 11 is formed with alined slots 30 whichare*spacedlongitudinally of the bar. Guide pins 31 are lined in theattaching plate 1, andeXtend from the latter and Work in the slots 30,thereby limiting' the extent ot longitudinal movement ot thebar 11 andcooperating with the hereinbetore mentioned parts.

VThe supporting bars, 15 alsoareenlarged laterally at their outer endsasiat, 32toprovide rirn engaging' heads, each of Whichhas a recess inits outer tace as indicated ati/i3 conforming substantially inlongitudinall sectional contour to the cross sectional. contour of thetire supporting rirn. It isto'be observed that one end Wall ot therecessed portion of each head 32 curves radially out- Ward andlaterallyinrvar'd as indicated "at 311, thus deliningy a lu'ghavingasocketpor the c. [0f atire supporting The end wall "atthe ,groove at one`end of there'cess forl end of the recess at 33. A locking lug 37having` the outer end portion thereof curved laterally inward to delinea groove or socket B8 torengagenient with the i'lange at the oppositeedge ot the usual tire supporting rim, is supported between the ears'35, as at 259, and has a handle portion Ll0. The handle port on L10.hastorksas indicated atll.. An adj usting screw 42 is engaged With -athreaded opening i3 which extends transversely through the router endportion of the assocl ted supporting.member v15. rhe adjust in fJyscrewextends"between the forks L1 1 which straddle the, adjustingscrev7 loetiv'een collars..illy and Ll5,respectively.

lie supporti)gl rneinbers 15 are provided adjacent to' their outer endsWith attaching ears lo which extend from the adjacent sides ot themembers 15, and are pivotally attached by horizontal pivot elements il?to the outer ends ot pair ot threaded rods 118. rlhe threaded rods 1Sare adjustably connected by a coupling sleeve or turn buckle 49j Thelatter is vprovided With diametrically opposite longitudinally extendingtransverse slots c or openings 50 through Which the shank 51 oilalliegaded locking pin nia-y extend. TheV Width ot the slots 50 is lessthan the diameter ot the head 52 ot' the locking pin. i

The 'inner end portion ot the locking` pin 51 extends through aslot 53in the concavely curved portion ot the flange 6, and through verticallyalined apertures in a shelf 5d and a latch plate 55.` rlhe sheltl 54 maybe a horizontal portion of a bracket having an attaching` portion 56secured to the attach- ,ing plate 1. The aperture in the latch plate hasa narrow outer end portion 57 ot less Width' than the diameter olI theshank ot the pin 5l, but ot slightly greater Width than'the diameter onta short reduced portion `58 of the Vshank ot the locking pin, thisreduced portion ot' course having shoulders at itsr upper and lo-Werendsand-thus defining Van annular groove which completely encircles thelocking pin. flfhe aperture in the latohing plate 55 also includes arelatively Wide portion 59 at the innerend ot vthe portion 57, andotslightly greater diameter thanv the body ot the shank ot the Vlocking;pin. Therefore, when the 'slianlz of the pin 51 has been projectedthrough the vertically alined slots l5,0 in the coupling` sleeve 49,

through the vertical opening inthe'concavelycurved portion of 'theflange t', and through' the vertical aperture in the ehelt1 ,Eliandtherelatively Wide portion 59 of the aperture in the latdinarlate' rsuch10d'- ing` pin can be heid 'again st "displacement by lll) iso

shitting the latching plate 55 longitudinally until the reduced portion58 of the locking pin enters the narrow portion 57 ot the verticalaperture ot the latching plate. This niovernent or the latching plate 55can be eti'ected by an operating mechanism which includes a wrist oreccentric pin 59 depending trom a cdsl; Gil through a slot 6l in theadjacent end portion ot the latching plate rthe latching plate 55 has aslot, as at 52., through which a guide pin 65 loosely eX- tends, theguide pin 63 being` carried by the shelt and being upset at its innerend as at 6d to prevent tlatwisei'novement ot the latching plate 55 tromposition against the shelf rllie disk GO is controlled by the usualn'iechanism ot a cylinder lock, which is shown more or lessdiagrammatically at G5, since it is et ordinary construction, and isadapted to be operated by a suitable key in such manner as to etectrotation ot the disk GO. Rotation ot the disk 60 ot' course Awill causethe movement ot the latching plate 55 in a dir ction which is in thegeneral direction ot length ot the latching plate, and the latchingplate can thus be shifted longitudinally to and from position to securethe locking pin 51 against upward movement from the position shown inFig ure l..

llrom the foregoing description ot the various parts ot' the device, theoperation thereoi" may be readily understood. In use, the deviceprobably will be inverted 'from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 sothat the arms l5 will extend at the lower side ot the body ot the deviceand the arm 11 will extend at the upper side ot the body of the devicealthough obviously, the device may be used in the position shown inFigs. l and 2 or turned about the aXis of the plate 1 to any otherdesired position.

The coupling sleeve or turn buckle Li9 cannot be turned to draw therespective supporting members 15 toward each other, or to move thesesupporting members apart so long` as the locking pin 51 is held againstdisplacement trom the position shown in Figure 1.. Therefore, theitt ofa tire which is carried by the device is practically prevented andcannot be accomplished without breaking ot the device when a rim withthe tire thereon has been placed in position to be supported by the rimengaging heads of the respective supporting members 15 and 1l.. and suchsupporting members have been adjusted to cause engagement ot the rimengagging heads ot the supporting members with the rim thereon. The rimwill be held against axial movement from position on the heads ot themembers 15 and 11, when the adjusting screws l2 have been manipulated toswing the upper end portions ot the latching members 37 to position tocooperate with the lugs 34 to grip the portion of the rim that isdisposed.v between the lugs 34 and 37. This arrangement permits use orthe device as a tire changer when used in conjunction with a rim ot theusual split ringtype ot construction. The ends oft a rim ot that typeare lapped when the rim in contracted or inoperative position and itthen is necessary to expand the rim with a tire thereon until the endset the rim abut each other, at which time the tire will [it tightly onthe rim. The expansion oi' the rim to mount a tire on the latter can bequickly and easily accon'iplished by placing the contracted rim (withthe tire loosely thereon) on the contracted device with the heads ot themembers l1 and 15 bearing against the inner wall ot the rim. he devicethen is expanded by manipulation ot' the turnbuclrle until the ends otthe rim abut each oth r and the expanded rim lits tightly in the tire.

To remove a tire trom a split rim, the tastening means on the heads ot'the members 'l5 are engaged with the rim so that the head ot one oi" themembers l5 is engaged with an end portion ot rim nearer to the jointbetween the ends ot the rim than the head portion ot the other member15, the device being in expanded position with the head ot the memberll. bearing against the inner wall ot the rim. rlhe' device then iscontracted by manipulating" the turnbuclilo and the end portion of therim with which said one member l5 is connected will be drawn inward to agreater extent and more positively than the extremity ot the other endportion otthe rim until the joint betweenthe end portions ot' the rim isbroken and the end portions ot the rim then will move tov lappedposition and therim will be contracted, permitting easy removal ot thetire.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms otherthan that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and ltherefore consider as my own all such modications and adaptationsthereof as fairly tall within the scope ot the appended claims.

F or example, thc arms l5 may be adjustable as to length. i

l claim:

l. device ot the character described, comprising a plate attachable to aliv.4 support, a plurality ot outwardly di./'ergent arms movablysupported adjacent to tlifi inner ends on said plate, motiontransmission means connecting the inner endy portionsl of said armswhereby all said arms will move simultaneously outward andsimultaneously inward with respect to the axial line ot the plate, andmeans for actuating said arms, one of said arms being movablelongitudinally toward and away trom the axial line ot said plate and theremaining arms being till i bf)

